The Goshinboku Tree
by Whimsical Incantations
Summary: Kikyo needs to see Inuyasha one last time. Her wish is granted by the gods in the afterlife, though she unexpectedly is thrown back in time..to a memory..where she shot Inuyasha to the sacred tree. Can she handle her past feelings of guilt? Sad Oneshot.


_**A/N Kagome has passed away, though Inuyasha because of his hanyou blood, lives longer and remains on earth. Kikyo is deceased and in desperate need to come to terms with the unfinished battle within herself. She is granted by the gods in the afterlife to let her visit earth one more time. She asks the gods to send her not only back to earth, but through time to change a memory that had haunted her very soul. ****So ****the spirits grant Kikyo access to go back in time to see Inuyasha as he was when Kikyo bound him to the Goshinbok****u**** tree.**_

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><p>She arrived almost a little forceful, as the heavens had opened with a final wiff of air and gently as the clouds had opened, laid her on the grass. Her feet touched the earth for the first time in thousands of years, and she closed her eyes as she relished the feeling once again, in having her skin come in contact once again with the subtle and calm terrain.<p>

Her long black hair blew about her soft face, and she looked down to see that she was no longer void of formation. Reaching her hands to her face she let her fingers glide across the sculpted features that pressed between her hands as it considered her nose and lips, then her ears and finally her eyes. The moonlight that shone from the heavens illuminated soft patches of grass across the grassy field and she secretly thanked Kami for the high patches of green, and in so hoping it would give her a sense of cover from demons that roamed the area.

It was then she remembered that she was no longer living. The heart that once beat within the temples of her existence...and breath of life had now ceased. Her hands, though they were soft in texture no longer held the warmth of blood pulsing throughout the veins that circulated her inner body. She was as cold as ice, devoid of heat...devoid of life.

Her eyes scanned the rest of the body she was given to walk across the earth for this short amount of time. It was just how it was when she had died, and she realized the gods were not that resourceful in giving her some sort of clothing. Taking her long black hair, she used it as a robe to cover her chest and the other parts of her body as she shakily grasped the dirt with one hand and found a way to stand up on two legs. The bones and joints stumbled in place as she felt her body find its way in releasing her hold off the ground and now use the feet to balance gravity on. Her bangs fell past her eyes and she took a deep intake of breath...and slowly let it out.

She was here on a mission, and one she swore she was not going to let go. Suddenly, the clouds above her shone with a powerful bright light. The heavens opened once again and she was able to lift her face to the sky, and receive the blessings that were once bestowed upon her when she still roamed the earth in her reincarnated form, a few months before she died. A soft cooing sound was heard, and she lifted her arms to the sky as she received the two dragon soul reapers. The twin soul dragons softly flitted down from the heavens and she watched with eagerness as each stationed by her side. One of the dragons softly nudged her and she smiled as she caressed it's ear.

Now with full determination and spirit, she propped her legs to move forward, and her heart moved with the wind. The pain that resided in the still beatings of her temporary heart gave direction in letting her find her way across the high grassy plains and into the depths of the evergreen forest. Yet, she remained calm as she walked through the familiar forest, trees and shrubs. There was no sound, not even a bird had flown through the night sky. The feeling of the forest was that of the calm before the storm, and she knew something important was bound to happen. She maneuvered her way through the patches of vines and shrubs that scratched against her delicate skin, and she shook her head as she paid no heed to the small disturbances, because she did not want to lose sight of the reason why she had been brought back. The moonlight illuminated small patches of light everywhere amongst the forest, and she was thankful as it guided her way deeper into the unknown. Risking her heart and her life wasn't new to her, and sad smile spread across her full pink lips. Then a pulse resounded where she stood, and her heart ached like never before. Gasping for air, she grasped her chest and the pain was almost unbearable. She felt the earth breathe as it came to life beneath her feet, and her spirit jumped within her chest as she came to realization where she was.

Stumbling to the ground, she shielded her body as the forest trees shook violently almost as if scolding her desire to once again grace their presence. Uncovering her hair from her face, she lifted her head as her eyes settled upon the strong trunks of a powerful and full embodied tree. The further her eyes trailed upward, the more she could see as the vines twisted and turned around a foot, then around what seemed to be red cloth. Her eyes scanned further north and saw what resembled a body that had been groveled so deep within the confines of the great tree, and she lifted her hands to clasp over her mouth as a hand revealed itself, covered undeviatingly by thick vines and flowers that took root in the vines over such a long period of time.

"Goshinboku.." she whispered.

Something nudged against her shoulder and she felt her body stand on its own once again as the soul reapers flew slowly around her, dropping soft balls of light that flittered down as feathers and embedded itself within the center of her chest. Suddenly she felt a gust of air had whooshed past her and she was able to breathe freely once again. Thanking Kami for the new availability of air, she took a tense yet frightful step closer to the ancient and sodden tree, and felt a tear softly fall down the plane of her cheek.

_'Why am I crying...what are these saltiness of tears?'_

She felt a familiar aura coming closer within reach. An aura she had not felt in years. Something of a destructive nature, yet nurturing and kind as she was. Her fragile temporary heart pounded again and her eyes came across the simple yet peaceful sleeping form of the hanyou, Inuyasha.

He seemed so peaceful yet content as though not a care in the world were to frighten him out of his tender sleep. The wind lapped at her naked body and for th first time in a very, very long time, Kikyo felt the feeling of coldness.

Stepping closer, she managed to swivel and find good balance against the roots of the grand tree, and slowly leaned her body against it, while balancing herself without falling. Her chest now touched the hanyou's haori, and her hands took hold of the vines that surrounded his arms and upper torso, supporting herself to the greatest extent she could. She breathed on the past memory, and her eyes swelled up with tears.

His scent were as flowers to the empty confines of her nasal passageways, and his skin felt hot to the touch. Lifting her hand, she glided her cool finger over the volcano of his cheek, and she felt the emptiness that seemed heavier than her heart; the one that forever permanently stayed. She felt a surge of energy and spirit rush through her and felt the realization kick in as she knew that no matter what she did, or how she could try, there was nothing she could do in her power to change this moment. There was nothing her soul could manage to do to remove the past blemishes of hurt, and the arrow that still slay through his deep chest that pierced him to the unforgivable tree. Her horror of guilt, and the shame that washed through her frail body was more than she could conceive. Losing her grip on the strong vines, she slid down the massive tree trunk and landed once again at the base of the roots.

"Inuyasha..." she whispered as she felt the saltiness of fresh tears fall from her pale cheeks.

Her hair had sprawled all over her bare back, covering the exposed skin. She felt it was absolutely useless in her coming back to recount this memory. The one chance the gods were able to grant her a wish, she felt she had wasted upon a ruthless and painful memory. Afflicted and sore, she grasped the earth with her small hands..and then suddenly felt the warmth of another set grab the cold of her own.

Raising her face her eyes had come in contact with the flame of a passionate amber, ones full of life and spontaneity. The face was one she remembered well, and the white hair that adorned the planes of his cheeks were thick and full of life. The moonlight shone on the red haori the dog demon wore, and white ears twitched amicably as the body was thick and well built, bringing a tinge of redness to the womans cheeks.

"Inuyasha!" she cried as she leapt from her position and found her way into his warm inviting arms. He laughed as he felt the woman he loved so much so overly joyful to see him. There was nothing that could replace how he felt in this exact moment, because he knew that the person he held, he loved dear.

He crushed her into his arms and felt the lack of clothing she did not wear, and instantly took off the front of his haori and wrapped her in it, and she was thankful. Taking his hand, he rubbed it against the small of her back a little forcefully in a small attempt to provide the miko with warmth. She buried her face in his chest and he closed his eyes as he nuzzled his nose into her hair, smelling the leaves of the forest and the air in her long black hair. "Kikyo...how could you ever blame yourself?" he whispered as he heard her soft muffled cry in the crease of his haori.

"It's my fault!" she managed to say above her soft cries. "If..if I had never pinned you to the tree, if I had known the truth..we would have stayed together.." she said as she looked up into his eyes.

The sorrow filled his body with a kind of force that was impenetrable.

Her sadness had caused him pain, as he took his hands and made her look up at him. "No." he whispered. Her eyes widened with realization as he had brought her soft lips to his own. Instantly she felt a chill had gone through her spine, and the miko relaxed against the hanyou's warm touch. Her hands wove through his hair and she flushed as she felt her body effortlessly mold its way to fit his own. They both parted, and she closed her eyes, while their foreheads remained together.

"I cannot stay with you here.. I must go back soon."

"I know...but we can make this moment last."

He felt her soft cheek against the rim of his neck, and the hanyou closed his eyes, savoring the closeness of having her with him. Then, a small wetness as fresh tears continue to fall silently.

"Kikyo..you must not let what the past has done hurt you."

She snifled and then turned her attention to his glowing amber eyes. "What..what do you mean?" she asked shakily.

He looked down at her with serious eyes. "I will always love you." he whispered. "Even though you may feel your guilty of the past in some way I do not. This memory you have seen me in; you were tricked. Do not deceive yourself any longer."

Her face amended of pure ecstasy, one of pure release. She looked up at him with the whimsical smile that he had come to love.

"Naraku is no longer living. You cannot blame yourself from anothers actions. Be at peace."

Nodding her head, she understood.

And that was just what she did.

He did not see how what he said affected her..except the yoke that bound his chest no longer stayed. He began to come to terms with a harsher reality now that their small time together..has now come to a sudden close. The woman in his arms had slowly begun to evaporate into the wind, as her body became less and less. Yet, through her sad departure, her eyes never waned from his, and soon she had become see through. The twin dragons had floated to the sky and balls of light left her body, as was her spirit, returning to her eternal home.

Her hands were the last to lose it's consciousness, and Inuyasha grasped what was left to hold onto before he would lose her again.

And then, just as she returned, she had left.

Inuyasha stared into the dark of the forest once again, and it seemed as if nothing had ever been there. There was no beautiful woman who just stood beside him, her smile haunting his dreams..her soft hands enveloping his own..or her scent that would drive him wild and even compel him to his knees. No, now there had been no woman to have done that only a second ago..because only a second ago she had been here...and now she was gone.

But he would continue his life smiling and knowing that what once panged his soul mate's heart no longer lived. He would rest assure that even death was not enough to prevent their hearts from beating..and he would only have to wait until his time came.. and to once again be reunited with the one he adamantly loved. He would have to be patient.

Inuyasha smiled looking at the sky once again.

Two soul reapers hovered in the clouds.


End file.
